Tradition 1: Imam Al-Kadhim ('a) said: One who cannot come to our Ziyarah should visit our righteous followers and the reward for our Ziyarah will be recorded for him. And one who cannot do good to us should do good to our righteous followers and the reward for doing good to us will be recorded for him.

Tradition 2: Same as no. 1.

Tradition 3: Imam Ar-Ridha’ ('a) said: One who goes to the graves of their believer brothers, places his hands on the graves and recites Surah Qadr seven times, will be safe on the Day of Great Terror.

Tradition 4: Same as no. 3.

Tradition 5: Imam As-Sadiq (‘a) was asked, “How should I place my hand on the graves of believers?”

Imam ('a) faced the Qibla, pointed towards the earth and then placed his hand on it.

Tradition 6: Imam As-Sadiq (‘a) said: Every Friday eve, Allah's Messenger used to visit Baqi with some companions and say three times, “Peace be on you, O people of the graves.” Then three times, “Allah's Mercy be on you.”

Then turning to his companions said, “They are better than you.”

So, his companions would ask, “Why is that O Allah's Messenger? They believed and we too believe, and they fought in the way of Allah and we too have done that.”

Allah's Messenger) would reply, “They believed but did not add oppression to their belief and they died believing in Allah; and I bear witness for them. But you will live after me and I don't know what you will do after me!”

Tradition 7: Amir Al-Mu’minin Ali ('a) entered a graveyard with some companions and called out: O people of dust! O lonely people! O those who are quiet! O dead ones! The news that we bear is that your wealth has been distributed among your heirs, your women have remarried, and your houses have been occupied by others. So, what news do you have?

Then he turned to his companions and said: By Allah, if they had permission to speak, they would have said,

وَتَزَوَّدُوا فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الزَّادِ التَّقْوَىٰ

“There is no provision better than piety for surely the provision is the guarding of oneself” (2:197).

Tradition 8: Imam Al-Kadhim ('a) was asked, “Do the believers know who visits their graves?”

Imam ('a) replied, “Yes, and as long as they are besides them, they enjoy the company but as soon as they leave, they feel sudden loneliness.”

Tradition 9: Imam As-Sadiq (‘a) was asked, “How should I salute the people of the grave?”

Imam ('a) replied: Recite the following:

السَّلَامُ عَلَى أَهْلِ الدِّيَارِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ أَنْتُمْ لَنَا فَرَطٌ وَ نَحْنُ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ بِكُمْ لَاحِقُونَ

Translation: Peace be on the people of the graves from the believers and Muslims. You have preceded us and we shall join you, InshaAllah.

Tradition 10: Imam Al-Baqir ('a) and I (the narrator) passed by Baqi by the grave of a Shia of Kufa.

I said to Imam Al-Baqir ('a), “May I be sacrificed on you, this is the grave of one of the Shia.”

Imam ('a) stopped at the grave and said: O Allah! Have mercy on his isolation; connect his loneliness; keep him company in his desolation; dispel his fear; convey Your Mercy on him in a way that he will not need the mercy of others; and join him with those whom he loved.

Tradition 11: Imam As-Sadiq (‘a) was asked, “How should one salute the people of the graves?”

Imam ('a) replied: Recite:

السَّلَامُ عَلَى أَهْلِ الدِّيَارِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ رَحِمَ اللَّهُ الْمُسْتَقْدِمِينَ مِنْكُمْ وَ الْمُسْتَأْخِرِينَ وَ إِنَّا إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ بِكُمْ لَاحِقُونَ

Translation: Peace be on the people of the graves from among the believers and the Muslims. May Allah's Mercy be upon those of you who died long ago and those who died recently. We shall join you, InshaAllah.

Tradition 12: Mufaddal said: If someone recites Surah Qadr seven times at the grave of a believer, Allah will send an angel to that grave who will worship Allah besides it and the rewards of it will be recorded for the dead and also for the one who visited that grave.

When this believer will be resurrected, he will not undergo any terror without Allah removing it from him through the angel appointed to his grave and he will enter Paradise with that angel.

He added, “When you visit the graves of believers, recite Surah Hamd once, Surah Qadr seven times, Surah Falaq, Surah Naas, Surah Tauhid and Ayat ul-Kursi, each three times.”

Tradition 13: Imam Al-Baqir ('a) said: When Allah's Messenger passed by the graves of some believers, he would say, “Peace be on the dwellings of the believers. InshaAllah we shall join you.”

Tradition 14: Imam Al-Baqir ('a) stood at a grave and said: O Allah! Connect with him in his loneliness; keep company in his desolation; send down Your Mercy on him in a way that he will not need the mercy of others.

Tradition 15: Imam As-Sadiq (‘a) was asked, “How should we salute the folks of the graves?”

Imam ('a) replied: Recite:

السَّلَامُ عَلَى‌ أَهْلِ الدِّيَارِ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ وَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَ الْمُسْلِمَاتِ أَنْتُمْ لَنَا فَرَطٌ وَ إِنَّا بِكُمْ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَاحِقُونَ.

Translation: Peace be on the people of the graves from among the men and women of the believers and the Muslims. You have preceded us and we shall join you if Allah wills.

Tradition 16: One day Amir Al-Mu’minin ('a) passed by some graves on his way. He turned to the right and said, “Peace be on you, O people who have moved from palaces to graves. You have preceded us and we shall follow you and inshaAllah we shall join you.” Then he turned to the left and repeated the same statement.

Tradition 17: Imam As-Sadiq (‘a) said: When you go to the graves, salute and recite:

السَّلَامُ عَلَى أَهْلِ الْقُبُورِ السَّلَامُ عَلَى مَنْ كَانَ فِيهَا مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ أَنْتُمْ لَنَا فَرَطٌ وَ نَحْنُ لَكُمْ تَبَعٌ- وَ إِنَّا بِكُمْ لَاحِقُونَ وَ إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَ إِنَّا إِلَيْهِ راجِعُونَ‌ يَا أَهْلَ الْقُبُورِ بَعْدَ سُكْنَى الْقُصُورِ يَا أَهْلَ الْقُبُورِ بَعْدَ النِّعْمَةِ وَ السُّرُورِ صِرْتُمْ إِلَى الْقُبُورِ يَا أَهْلَ الْقُبُورِ كَيْفَ وَجَدْتُمْ طَعْمَ الْمَوْتِ

Translation: Peace be on the folks of the graves. Peace be on the believers and the Muslims in the grave. You have preceded us and we shall follow you and (soon) we will join you. Indeed, we are Allah's and to Him we shall return. O those who are in graves after having lived in palaces! O those who are in graves after having enjoined the blessings and the pleasures! O people of the graves! Now that you are in the graves, how did you find the taste of death?

Then say, “Woe unto those who have gone to Hell.” And then cry and leave.

Tradition 18: When Imam As-Sadiq (‘a) entered a graveyard, he would say: “Peace be on folks of Paradise.”